2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide - 43

the end of the year and into the new year, and
in February surface conditions significantly
improved at most resorts. Snow conditions
fluctuated for the rest of the season and by the
first week of May, Lake Louise and Sunshine
Village were the only two resorts open.
(https://opensnow.com)
One of the resorts that had a great season
Picnic tables are covered with snow at Mount
Hood Meadows after an overnight snow in early
April. photo by Linda McGavin
the reservoirs.
According to a New York Times article,
this year, California's snowpack reached
record-high levels - 40 million acre-feet at its
peak in April. The snowpack reached 240%
of the April average, a level not seen since the
1980s, when the state's electronic monitoring
system came online. As of June 7, the snowpack
had stood at 300% of normal for that
time, according to California Department of
Water Resources data. (www.nytimes.com)
However, one year of record snows is not
enough to resolve the drought situation in the
west. Some of the water is absorbed by plants,
and into the ground, before reaching watersheds,
rivers, lakes or reservoirs. There is natural
evaporation. In addition, the run-off
doesn't necessarily flow to where it was
needed most. It is not an easy fix, and of
course, too much water at one time created
floods.
North American Resorts
The mid-west and eastern resorts did not
fare as well as the west, having a mild winter,
resulting in closures of some resorts in January,
due to a lack of snow. Some good snow fell in
March in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
and Massachusetts for a much-needed boost.
(www.skimag.com)
Canadian resorts overall had enough
snow all season long to keep coverage adequate
to above average. Snow fell in October
and November, and the season was off to a
good start! There were moderate snowfalls at
was Big White Ski Resort in British Columbia,
Canada. Big White had a 767 cm (301 " )
cumulative snowfall last season, above the 750
cm (295 " ) average, with a 267 cm (105 " ) Alpine
snow base. The resort is fortunate to
have unique weather conditions, as they benefit
from BC's traditionally moist weather patterns
and the elevation is high enough that the
mountain averages temperatures that are just
below freezing (-5 average) throughout the
season. This helps keep the skiing conditions
consistently pristine throughout the season.
(www.bigwhite.com)
Europe's Season
Europe had high hopes for the 2022 -
2023 season, with a strong U.S. dollar and a
forecast of a bountiful snow season for most
of Europe. They were looking forward to a recovery
from the COVID shutdowns.
Their
season is normally late November to mid to
late April. Unfortunately, there were warm
temperatures on New Year's Day and snowless
slopes still at most resorts.
In an April 5 Report in the Met Matters:
Royal Meteorological Society publication, it was
reported that there was a slow start in the
Alps. There were delayed openings, and
shorter ski seasons across the region, which
was particularly challenging for ski resort operators
and local businesses. In addition, a
shortened season translated into reduced revenue
and economic hardship for these alpine
communities. The good news is that many
bounced back as conditions improved and
once the snow arrived, business was up overall.
(www.rmets.org)
What in the World is Going On?
According to Snowsports Industries
America (SIA), the wild weather is not a oneoff.
The climate is now being turbo-charged
by a warming planet resulting in more frequent,
more powerful, and uncharacteristic
storms. This results in billions of dollars of
damages and a winter sports industry with a
very uncertain future.
We could just choose to ski at higher elevations,
or depend on more sophisticated
snowmaking, but we can't run forever. According
to SIA, science says that to avoid the
worst impacts, we have less than a decade to
reduce our carbon emissions 100% economywide
by focusing on the systemic solutions
that will have the greatest impact on global
carbon emissions, using the snowsport industry's
considerable influence to advocate for
new clean energy policies.
(www.snowsports.org)
Predictions for the
2023 - 2024 Season
The Farmers' Almanac has provided an
extended weather forecast since 1818. More
snow and low temperatures are predicted nationwide.
There are indications that an El
Niño, an unusually high-water temperature off
the Pacific Coast of South America), will be
brewing in the latter half of 2023, lasting into
the winter of 2024. Cold temperatures should
prevail throughout the country, bringing snow,
sleet, and ice. For those in the Great Lakes,
Midwest and northern New England areas, it
is predicted that there will be a better season
for winter this year. (www.snowbrains.com)
A record-breaking heatwave that gripped
the Alps for most of August came to an end
with some snow at the end of the month. The
heatwave hit the Alpine glaciers hard. The
Grand Motte glacier above Tignes, France, is
once again almost totally devoid of snow towards
the end of summer. The summer ski
seasons have been getting steadily shorter in
recent years, this year closing on July 23.
(www.weathertoski.co.uk)
As mentioned, we've seen the La Niña
weather pattern for the last three years, but
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology predicts
that sea surface temperatures will cross the El
Niño threshold by August. El Niño and La
Niña have their biggest impact on global climate
during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
So if the meteorologists are right and an El
Niño is on the way, what does this mean for
snowfall in the Alps? The last El Niño
weather pattern happened in winter 2018-19
and Europe saw a tremendous amount of
snow! After a warm start to the season, January,
2019 broke one snow record after another,
with Austria reporting seven metres of powder
in seven days! (www.onthesnow.co.uk)
It started snowing in Utah and across the
Colorado Rocky Mountains in early September.
Now there's a good sign! Looks like
we might be in for another wild ride of a
winter in the west! Get on out there on your
skis and snowboards...connect with nature,
laugh with your friends and family, get some
exercise, and enjoy the white fluffy stuff...no
matter how much there is! ss
Far West Skier's Guide 2O23 - 2O24
43
https://www.opensnow.com http://www.snowsports.org http://www.bigwhite.com http://www.snowbrains.com http://www.weathertoski.co.uk http://www.nytimes.com http://www.rmets.org http://www.onthesnow.co.uk http://www.skimag.com
2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide

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